Michigan

Offbeat: The Sunday Offbeat

An Oakland County kayaker gave his family and the police a good scare — and hopefully later allowed them to give him a good scolding — when he vanished during a trip to the American Legion Hall in Independence Township via Lake Oakland.

The man was traveling with four other kayakers around 11 p.m. Monday and turned around, going back the way he came in the middle of the trip, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.

No one heard from him again that evening, and police searched the area but could not find him or his boat that night, according to the sheriff’s department.

Happily, he turned up the next morning after he apparently consumed some alcohol and slept in the woods, according to the department.

I give him credit for not drunk kayaking, but I’m sure his friends would appreciate it if he made it home first next time.

Crack attackIt’s another week where readers delivered their own punch lines on one of our online reports.

A 35-year-old Flint woman told police she was forced into a car and forced to smoke crack, according to police reports.

The alleged kidnapping and drugging occurred around 8 a.m. Monday on Court Street near Cedar.

The woman told police a man held her at gunpoint and forced her into the car, according to police reports. The women eventually escaped, but the man stole her state assistance EBT card, prescription drugs and purse.

Nothing, reallyI thought folks gave up on this trick when they got out of elementary school.

A 21-year-old Grand Blanc Township man tried to tell police there was “nothing” in his hand when they were checking his residence after a complaint about fireworks, according to Grand Blanc Township police reports.

Police were called around 6:53 p.m. July 2 to his home on Manchester Drive.

Officers didn’t see any fireworks, but saw a suspicious “nothing” in our guy’s hand.

Turns out the man was allegedly in possession of a glass pipe containing marijuana and reportedly told officers he had smoked marijuana earlier that day, and was getting ready to smoke some more.

He was cited for possession and released.

CrackdownThis weekend continues the statewide drunk driving crackdown known as Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.

Law enforcement in 30 counties are taking to the streets looking for intoxicated drivers through today with more than 200 law enforcement agencies conducting extra patrols funded by the Office of Highway Safety Planning.

The crackdown began July 1 and has resulted in hundreds of arrests and traffic citations so far, according to OHSP.

Preliminary data from the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center indicates that five people died in traffic crashes over the July 4 holiday weekend. None of the crashes involved alcohol.

For a listing of planned enforcement times, dates, and locations, visit www.michigan.gov/ohsp.